[Commlist] Call For Papers: Creative Methodologies: Practical Play and Media Multiplicities

In partnership with MeCCSA Practice Network, the University of 
Sunderland is delighted to announce a special symposium on Creative 
Methodologies: Practical Play and Media Multiplicities, a two-day event, 
examining methodologies of practice-based media research, from podcasts 
to games making. Our keynote speakers for this event are: Lance Dann 
(The University of Brighton), Chloe Germaine (Manchester Metropolitan 
University) and Nick Lewis (The University of Sunderland).

This symposium aims to interrogate the wide range of creative 
methodologies in media research as a showcase for the multiplicities of 
media and cultural studies. This event incorporates a cross-disciplinary 
and inclusive approach to practice-based research. We welcome papers 
examining autoethnographies, participant-action-led games jams as a way 
of video game making, R&D as well as ludological and narratological 
approaches to game studies, peer reviewed podcasts, the utilisation of 
video game journals, AI approaches to methodologies. We are also open to 
proposals on creative methodologies we may not have mentioned as we 
appreciate the breadth and depth of media’s multiplicities.
The event celebrates the rich diversity of practice-based researchers, 
and the ways creative methodologies may be applied across media and 
cultural studies. Practice-based research allows for creativity over 
research, as well as practical outputs which can result in frameworks 
for diverse peoples, such as games jams providing opportunities to embed 
indigenous knowledge (Nijdam, 2022), podcast research publications and 
projects such as Podcast or Perish Rebel (McGregor, Cook and Beckstead, 
(2024) and Rebel Women of Sunderland (University of Sunderland) 
highlighting the voices of marginalised women, and close-textual 
analysis of media conducted via video creation (through projects such as 
Games Assist). Practice-based research “is situated in the 
world-of-concern defined by the practice usually ‘in the field’, that is 
in a real-world context with real world outcomes” (Candy, Edmonds, Vear, 
2022, p.29)

This symposium is led by the University of Sunderland in partnership 
with MeCCSA Practice Network. The University of Sunderland has had 
growth of creative practice focused research in the last few years, and 
the City of Sunderland has received investments in both film production, 
with the Crown Works film studios, as well as in Esports with the 
National Esports Performance campus. Sunderland is quickly becoming a 
city at the centre of the creative industries, and we look forward to 
welcoming research practitioners to our event.

We are currently seeking abstracts for this event, to be submitted no 
later than Friday 28th March 2025. We are seeking papers – which may be 
standard papers, podcasts, videos, streams, video journal entries, 
video/text based games – suggestions for roundtables, games jam 
proposals and any medium or proposal that you think may qualify under 
the banner of creative methodologies.
Some prompts for your consideration (but please do not feel limited):

Using Yogscast as a research tool
Podcast journal articles
Participant action research through Twine
Autoethnographies
Applying AI to methodological approaches
Researching place based creative industries (and their relations to 
local communities)

Abstracts of 300 words and accompanying author biographies of 200 words 
should be emailed to (mediamultipliticies /at/ sunderland.ac.uk) and 
(stephanie_farnsworth /at/ sunderland.ac.uk)  by Friday 28th of March.

References:

Candy, L, Edmonds, E, and Vear, C (2022) ‘Practice-based research’ in 
Vear, C. (eds) The Routledge International Handbook of Practice-Based 
Research (p. 27-41) London, UK: Routledge

McGregor, H., Cook, I., and Beckstead, L. (2024) Podcast or Perish: Peer 
Review and Knowledge Creation in the 21st Century, London, UK: 
Bloomsbury Academic.

Nijdam, E. (2022) ‘Recentering Indigenous Epistemologies Through Digital 
Games: Sámi Perspectives on  Nature in Rievssat (2018), SAGE Journals: 
Games and Culture, vol. 18. no.1 January 26th, Available online: 
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15554120211068086

Rebel Women of Sunderland (2024), University of Sunderland, Available 
online: https://rebel-women-of-sunderland.captivate.fm/

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